Replacing torque boxes

[SubLime]

Mine are rotted out. Frame has already been repaired.

Could I cut out the rotted sections at home with no lift, cut and fit new ones into place and then take it to a welder? Does the body need supporting when the torque boxes are cut out?

If I can’t do anything without supporting the body, rough estimate of how many hours per side for replacement?

 

[Muddyjeep276]

Ill be watching this, Ive got the same problem. I didn't know how bad mine was until I installed an 1.25 body lift and it was rotted out right where the mounts go.
I havent decided on a solution yet. Mine is rusted out almost a perfect circle around the back holes on the torq box and also the two body mounts at the very back of the jeep.
The parts or material for repair seem really cheap either for a peice to cut out only the bad place and repair. Im leaning towards a complete replacement of the torq box's as they're cheap,but cost for labor is a big question for a body shop to do this couldnt be cheap.

 

[bromel]

Autorust (makers of Safe T Cap) sells kits for repairing/replacing the Torque Boxes

https://www.autorust.com/product-category/jeep/jeep-tj/

 

[TJ4Jim]

If the rust is localized then these repair patches are fairly easy to install.

https://www.rustrepairpatch.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html

 

[PCO6]

Mine are rotted out. Frame has already been repaired.

Could I cut out the rotted sections at home with no lift, cut and fit new ones into place and then take it to a welder? Does the body need supporting when the torque boxes are cut out?

If I can’t do anything without supporting the body, rough estimate of how many hours per side for replacement?

Do you have pics of the sections you need to replace? It's not clear from your post whether you want to replace sections or if you're cutting the whole box out. If you're just replacing sections you might be able to take it to a welder but if it's the entire box(es) I would not do that.

 

[SubLime]

Do you have pics of the sections you need to replace? It's not clear from your post whether you want to replace sections or if you're cutting the whole box out. If you're just replacing sections you might be able to take it to a welder but if it's the entire box(es) I would not do that.

Both sides look like this.

 

[TJ4Jim]

From the looks of it I would suspect when the body bolts are removed (or torn out) there will not be much left to work with, meaning the entire box may have to be replaced.

 

[PCO6]

Both sides look like this.

View attachment 140853

That's the rear end of the box which is probably the area that is the least important. If going toward the front of the box it looks anything like that, with or without holes, I think you're looking at replacing the entire box. You need to take a hammer to the box and give it some good whacks … and don't be shy about it. You also need to take a good look at the floor that the box is welded to. If it's rusted out you'll be looking at a much bigger job.

 

[PCO6]

One way of telling if your floor is strong enough to have a new torque box welded in is to see if it can be supported by jacks. Here's how I did mine. I put the 1"x2" tube in to distribute the weight while lifted the body. It came out after I welded the new torque box in.

 

[SubLime]

That's the rear end of the box which is probably the area that is the least important. If going toward the front of the box it looks anything like that, with or without holes, I think you're looking at replacing the entire box. You need to take a hammer to the box and give it some good whacks … and don't be shy about it. You also need to take a good look at the floor that the box is welded to. If it's rusted out you'll be looking at a much bigger job.

After a bit of tapping near the body mounts, I suspect you are right, the boxes are starting to rust through by the body mounts.

Can anybody give me a rough estimate of labor hours per box for replacement?

 

[Gunnerhm]

So, I have this project looming in the wings...Time to repair is going to depend on extent of damage. In my case I expect to have to cut the body mount bolts. In addition, I'm going to need to replace sections of both rear floor pans & a section of the drivers side floor pan. My plan of attack is to cut the floor pans back to good metal. I'm gonna start on the passenger side as I think it will stiffen the body up for when I need to do both floor pans on the driver's side.

 

[Gunnerhm]

I'm planning on taking a week of PTO to do it. I'll keep track of my hours

 

[Goatman]

I would think having the body off the frame would be the faster option. I would expect to find quite a bit more rust removal inside the torque boxes too. And the time needed to lift the body could be faster (and easier) to deal with all the rust and replacement. Be sure to use a good weld-through primer on all clean metal before you start putting the new steel in.

 

[Gunnerhm]

Thanks for the input, my thought process was:
1. that lifting one side of the body and using the body mounts & roll bar bolts would line the new torque boxes to the bottom of the floor pans correctly. I have bought two full driver side & passenger side replacement torque boxes.
2. I really don't want to remove the body from the frame at this time. I've done one chassis off restoration of a VW Karmtann Ghia that took over 6 years to complete.

 

[Ephry73]

Thanks for the input, my thought process was:
1. that lifting one side of the body and using the body mounts & roll bar bolts would line the new torque boxes to the bottom of the floor pans correctly. I have bought two full driver side & passenger side replacement torque boxes.
2. I really don't want to remove the body from the frame at this time. I've done one chassis off restoration of a VW Karmtann Ghia that took over 6 years to complete.

Miss my Ghia and it was a PITA to work on as no body panel OTB without massaging it. The panels for the Wrangler should be easier to do. Plus you don't have to worry about the seal between chassis and body like the VW

 

[Gunnerhm]

So, 8 hrs so far. 4 hrs of prep, 4 hrs to remove/reinstall the pan. Decided that replacing the rear floor pan first would give me a better alignment and less potential for damaging the torque box if I removed the pan after I‘d installed The box.The end of the torque box just in font of the roll bar no longer existed.

 

[Hopper]

So, 8 hrs so far. 4 hrs of prep, 4 hrs to remove/reinstall the pan. Decided that replacing the rear floor pan first would give me a better alignment and less potential for damaging the torque box if I removed the pan after I‘d installed The box.The end of the torque box just in font of the roll bar no longer existed.

View attachment 186756

View attachment 186757

View attachment 186758

View attachment 186759

View attachment 186760

Did the roll bar just bolt to the pan?

 

[Gunnerhm]

Roll bolts pass they pan & thread into weld nuts in torque box

 

[Gunnerhm]

5 hrs today - (13 hrs running total) cut out Driver side rear & front floor pans. Unfortunately the body mount behind the drive’s seat is too rotted to be salvageable. Have orderEd a replacement. Will move back to the passengers side to replace the torque box. Fortunately the frame was reinforced and is solid.

 

[Gunnerhm]

10 hrs today (23 hrs running time) - Removed and replaced driver’s side body mount in front of roll bar. Removed left front fender, cut out remaining pieces of torque box on driver’s side. Test fit torque box for alignment to body mounts. Fit replacement new, driver’s side front & rear floor pans All lines up well. Need to remove a few more small pieces of torque box flange & clean up paint to bare metal and weld torque box & then floor pans

in.